Don’t let budget get in the way of you creating video content, because you can create great video content at no cost at all!
[If you’d prefer to watch a video rather than read this blog post, scroll to the bottom for the accompanying video]
Here are 5 things that will help you create video content on zero budget:
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YOU DON’T NEED EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT
You are probably currently within a metre of something you already own that you can use to create video content. In fact, you might even be reading this post on it. YOUR PHONE!! Most phones now are of good enough quality to create good video content. If you’re creating content for YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, use your phone in landscape orientation, and for IGTV in portrait.
2. THINK ABOUT YOUR LIGHTING
Lighting can make the difference between a bad and good video. But what if you don’t have studio lighting available? Natural lighting is perfect! The best natural light to use is on an overcast day. A sunny day often creates shadows and too much brightness. Stand near a natural light source, like a window, and angle yourself towards it.
3. SUBTITLES ARE IMPORTANT IF YOU’RE TALKING TO CAMERA
The majority of social media users watch videos without audio. So if you don’t include subtitles, the chances of them scrolling straight past your video are really high. There are some low cost subtitle creation tools out there. But you can also create them for free! If you are an iPhone user, there is an inbuilt app called Clips, through which you record your video and it adds the subtitles as you are speaking. You can then watch the video back, pause and click to edit any subtitle mistakes. Kapwing also has a subtitles auto-generator and is free to use.
4. EDITING FOR FREE
If you are a Mac user, iMovie is easy to use to edit simple videos. There are lots of YouTube tutorials if you get stuck. On other PCs, DaVinci Resolve is a good option. I have recently been editing more videos on my phone, as I find it easier to pick it up and do it whenever I get chance. You can use iMovie on your phone, but I use VideoStory (I used it to edit the video at the bottom of this post). Admittedly, I have a paid subscription. But the free version is great too. An alternative is VLLO, which doesn’t include watermark on your videos when you don’t have a subscription.
5. BE UNIQUE
It’s not necessarily how much money you spend on a video that guarantees it’s success. Sometimes success comes down to how unique the video is and how applicable it is to your audience. I’ve seen businesses spend thousands on videos that have had hardly any views, as they try too hard to sell something to you and don’t relate to the audience at all. Think of ways you can make you content unique and of value to your audience.
If you want more ideas on creating video content on a low or zero budget, I have a video on Planet Social Media, which goes in to much more detail than this. Plus, there are over 20 other videos on there with ways to grow your business using social media. It’s currently only £1 to join, and you can find out more and sign up here!
